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Business Insider Is Hiring A Managing Editor For BI Studios

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Fencing Victory

Business Insider is looking for a superstar managing editor to join BI Studios, our in-house branded content team.

The Managing Editor will report to the Editorial Director and run point on many of the details, both creative and procedural, that go into making BI Studios' branded content the best on the web. We're seeking a talented and versatile editor, writer, and communicator who can rise to any challenge, be it big or small.

The person in this position is responsible for managing many of the key elements through the editorial process, from conception to production and publication. As such, the managing editor will manage and grow our freelancer pool, edit content, organize brainstorming discussions, take the lead on researching and crafting topic pitches, update sections of the website, communicate with clients on editorial questions and issues, review production details before publication, write and edit articles and other native content when needed, and work with our project manager to stay on top of deadlines, deliverables, and our content calendar.

The ideal candidate is a skilled editor and writer with excellent communications skills and access to a deep stable of capable freelancers. He or she is detailed-oriented, organized, creative, web-savvy, a superb editor and sharp writer, and interested in a wide array of subjects, from tech and finance to lifestyle and entertainment.

We're looking for someone who enjoys wearing many hats, a troubleshooter and a doer — someone who will pitch in wherever necessary, who both receives and gives direction well, and who cares deeply about producing high-quality content that engages readers and elevates the BI Studios brand while fulfilling the needs of advertisers.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years experience as an editor and writer in digital publishing.

• Superb writing, editing, and brainstorming skills.

• Excellent written and spoken communication skills.

• Familiarity with and enthusiasm for Business Insider's content, style, and mission.

• Experience working with various digital storytelling formats (text, video, slideshows, infographics).

• Extensive freelancer contacts and experience managing freelance writers.

• Terrific work ethic and team player mentality.

• Strong understanding of best practices, trends, and innovations in content marketing.

• Proficiency in content management systems, Photoshop, SEO, and basic HTML.

• Ability to handle multiple deadlines at once.

• Experience working with clients a plus.

• Experience in tech or business journalism a strong plus.

If this sounds like a good gig for you, please apply online, share a few of your work samples, and tell us why you're a good fit for the role. 

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We Tried Dunkin' Donuts New 'Cronut'— Here's The Verdict

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DD cronut 1

It's been more than a year since New York pastry chef Dominique Ansel's cronut became a cultural sensation, with some waiting hours in line for a shot at trying one. 

Now Dunkin' Donuts has released a croissant donut, though the company denies it is copying the famous New York bakery. The 300-calorie pastry is in stores beginning Monday. 

The company sent us two dozen pastries for our office to sample. At $2.49, they are roughly half the cost of the New York City original.

Compared with the classic donuts at Dunkin', the pastries look slightly irregular, as if they came from different molds. 

"Some of the croissant donuts had a strange hexagonal shape, which made my think they were stamped by a machine rather than rolled by hand," one reviewer said. 

Biting into the donut reveals a dense, flaky inside. 

DD cronut 2

When it came to taste, our reviewers were underwhelmed. 

While Dominique Ansel's version of the cronut changes flavors every month, the Dunkin' version is covered in a simple glaze. 

cronuts dominique ansel bakery

This made it difficult to differentiate Dunkin's version from the original glazed donut. 

"Tastes exactly like a normal glazed donut from Dunkin. It's a little thicker and fluffier, but there's no difference taste-wise," one reviewer shared.

Others said the product tasted like an "ordinary donut" and a "normal glazed donut" from the brand. 

Some people also complained that the glaze was too sticky and made the pastry messy to eat. 

Overall, the croissant donut isn't bad. 

But because it is difficult to differentiate from a normal Dunkin' Donut, we wouldn't recommend making a special trip for it.

Saturday Night Live poked fun at the product this weekend, calling it "dobage" — a mix between "donut" and "garbage." 

SEE ALSO: REVEALED: This Is Exactly How The McRib Is Made

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The 20 Best Places To Live Overseas

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globalmap

Tired of your old job? Looking for a new environment? There are a lot of reasons to leave your home country behind in search of greener pastures, but picking where to go can be an overwhelming decision.

There are a lot of conflicting factors: job opportunities, salary considerations, quality of life, safety, and childcare are just a few. HSBC has made the decision a whole lot easier with its latest annual Expat Explorer survey

The survey ranks the best places to go based on experience, economics, and raising children abroad, with subcategories for each group. We've picked out the top 20 places overall. (But you can also personalize the rankings based on which factors matter to you.)

20. Belgium

Belgium ranked highly for raising children abroad, healthcare, and learning a new language.  

The country was below average for overall experience and economics categories but ranked especially low for sports and healthy diet — unsurprising when you consider the beer, chocolate, and waffles.

Belgium is also relatively free of violent crime, though muggings and pickpocketing are common in the country's larger cities.



19. Malaysia

Adventurous expats are likeliest to head to Malaysia. Forty-nine percent told HSBC that the need for "a new challenge" motivated their move.

Those who make the move seem to love it, with expats in Malaysia scoring highly for learning the local language, traveling more, and exploring Malaysia's fascinating culture. 

Malaysia tends to be very affordable, ranking highly for accommodations and local shops and markets.  

The country is only middle of the pack, however, in economic measures and raising children abroad. Education is decent but expensive, and the quality of childcare is not good.



18. Japan

Japan's stagnant economy has it ranking low in economic measures, but the country makes up for it with its exceptional healthcare, travel options, and local culture. It doesn't hurt that the food is healthy and delicious, ranking first in both diet and local food.

In addition, Japan ranks highly in raising children abroad, thanks to its high-quality, affordable education.

One expat described the people in Japan as such:

"The people here are so friendly and go out their way to help you, even if they speak limited English. I feel welcome here."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






The 10 Best Private High Schools In New York City

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Horace Mann School Campus Sign

The Horace Mann School is the best private high school in New York City, according to a new ranking from education review website Niche.

Niche rankings are based on a combination of user reviews and education statistics sourced from the government and public databases.

According to Niche, a school's high score indicates that "Students are very happy with their experiences in all aspects including academics, teachers, health, safety, resources, facilities, extracurriculars, sports, and fitness."

Although Horace Mann is well known as an academic powerhouse, it has been more in the news recently for a sexual abuse scandal that reportedly took place at the school for decades.

However, current students seem to love the school. As one recent Horace Mann alumnus wrote on Niche, "I've been in lecture-like classes (AP bio) and seminar-based classes. The teachers here expect the most from you and encourage you to deliver. They care enough about your personal well-being to pull you aside if something is off with you. Participating in class was never a problem because they wanted you to."

Here are the 10 best private high schools in New York City, via Niche:

  1. Horace Mann School
  2. Trinity School
  3. Dalton School
  4. Packer Collegiate School
  5. Collegiate School
  6. Friends Seminary
  7. Poly Prep Country Day School
  8. Regis High School
  9. Ethical Culture Fieldston School
  10. Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School

[Note: Niche's private school ranking included Hunter College High School, which is a selective public school.]

See the full national private school ranking at Niche >>

SEE ALSO: The 25 Best College Professors In America

FOLLOW US! Check Out BI Colleges On Facebook

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Red Lobster Has A Completely New Menu

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red lobster linguine

Red Lobster has completely made over its menu in an attempt to attract customers. 

The seafood chain's sales have been declining, in part because Red Lobster is struggling to attract a younger crowd. Profits have also been hit by the soaring price of shrimp. 

The company has completely redone its menu in order to attract a new clientele. 

Here are the major changes. 

Lobster everywhere. 

Red Lobster has become known for its shrimp promotions, sometimes offering unlimited portions. But when white shrimp prices soared 50%, the company's margins suffered.

Lobster prices have been on a steady decline, meaning that it's a good time for the restaurant chain to incorporate more of the shellfish into its menu.  

"Lobster options are now featured on almost every page at broad price points," the company told Business Insider. 

red lobster new menu

More seafood across the board. 

Red Lobster is amping up how much seafood it puts in dishes. For example, the Lobster Scampi Linguine now has as much lobster (6 oz.) as pasta. 

The Roasted Maine Lobster Bake comes with three lobster tails, while the Ultimate Shrimp entree now contains 50% more shrimp. 

The company hopes that amping up genuine seafood in menu items will attract more customers. 

red lobster new menu

User-friendly menu. 

The company says the new menu is two pieces, where the old one was five pieces. 

Menu items are also presented in the way diners order, "beginning with drinks and ending with desserts," the company says. 

Menu pages are encased in a binder, allowing for "better customization, updating and regionalizing."

It's likely that Red Lobster's redesigned menu could impact sales. 

IHOP boosted sales by 4% after making over its menu. 

SEE ALSO: We Tried Dunkin' Donuts' New 'Cronut' — Here's The Verdict

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4 Essential Suits Every Man Needs In His Closet

11 Books You Should Read This November

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Amazon november books

With dropping temperatures, we’re all about to start spending a lot more time indoors — why not have a good book to read?

Amazon Book’s editorial team has unveiled the new must-reads for November, from fan-favorite authors like Stephen King to stories that are sure to be a hit. Whether you enjoy historical biographies or prefer gripping novels, there's a book here for every reader.

Below are the 11 books you should pick up this month.

A Backpack, A Bear, And Eight Crates Of Vodka” by Lev Golinkin: In this autobiography, Golinkin describes his family’s journey to escape the final decade of the Soviet Union during the late 1980s as well as his trip back as an American man. We follow him as he both comes to terms with his past and the hatred he felt as a Jewish man in the Urkarine and thanks the strangers that made his escape possible. 

Fields Of Blood: Religion And The History of Violence” by Karen Armstrong: From the best-selling author of “A History Of God,” “Field Of Blood” explores the connection between violence and a variety of faiths, including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Judaism. Armstrong tries to understand if religion truly does lead to violence, as well as if peace among all believers could ever be achieved in our time.

The Happiest People In The World” by Brock Clarke: Danish Cartoonist Jens is forced to relocate after he draws a cartoon of the Prophet and becomes an assassin’s target. After being saved by the CIA, he’s plopped down in a small town in New York state and given a new name, job, and background — but that’s when the story truly takes a turn. 

The Laughing Monsters” by Denis Johnson: A mixture of “Heart Of Darkness” and the post-9/11 world, this novel follows Roland Nair as he reunites with his friend Michael Adriko in Sierra Leone. Their friendship is pushed to its limits as the two men and Michael’s gorgeous fiancé travel ever deeper into Western Africa to search for Michael’s lost village.

Let Me Be Frank With You” by Richard Ford: This is the fourth installment in Ford’s celebrated series on Frank Bascombe (including “The Sportswriter,” “Independence Day,” and “The Lay Of The Land’). Bascombe is now 70 and easing into retirement, but the novel places him in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. For fans of the series, Ford is at the height of his game.

Lives In Ruins” by Marilyn Johnson: Johnson interviews the modern Indiana Jones-type archaeologists who travel around the globe finding people, places, and clues that no one else has seen in centuries. They track down the small pieces of history that shape our culture, and reflect on what it means to uncover these stories that have been buried or lost. 

Napoleon: A Life” by Andrew Roberts: Napoleon is perhaps the most famous soldier-statesman in history. He is remembered not only for his battles and military mind, but his leadership as well. With thirty-three thousand newly recovered letters that he wrote, Roberts’s biography is an important new volume that illuminates Napoleon’s psyche.

Nothing Is True And Everything Is Possible” by Peter Pomerantsev: This book delves into the modern Russia that emerged when the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 90s. From reality television and big business to Putin as the ring leader of it all, Poverantsev proves why everything you think you know about Russia is wrong.

Revival” by Stephen King: King's most recent thriller spans five decades and focuses on the rock n' roll obsessed Jamie Morton and the small town reverend Charles Jacobs. Both men are haunted by tragic pasts and share a secret obsession, so they are naturally drawn together into a partnership as they search for answers — and find terrifying conclusions. 

There Was A Little Girl: The Real Story Of My Mother And Me” by Brooke Shields: Actress and model Brooke Shields recounts her relationship with her single mother Teri, a woman who was not only her manager and confidante, but also a struggling alcoholic. Shields shares how Teri influenced her own experience as a mother and the pair’s mother-daughter relationship.

Us” by David Nicholls: Douglas Petersen is thrown for a loop when his wife Connie asks for a divorce. It couldn’t come at a worse time as the couple and their 17-year-old son Albie are off on an adventure across Europe. The believable family relationships and complicated ending will keep readers invested in the Petersen clan.

SEE ALSO: 20 New Books We Can't Wait To Read This Fall

DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's Life on Facebook!

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The Best Whiskey In The World Is No Longer From Scotland

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Yamazake single malt

A Japanese whiskey is the best in the world, according to one of the top industry guides.

The 2015 edition of Jim Murray's Whiskey Bible gave the crown to the Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013. The bible will be published next week.

Scottish liquor did not feature in the top five, according to the Daily Mail, which got an advance copy of the guide.

The title of best European whiskey went to English Whisky Company's Chapter 14 Not Peated.

In the book, Murray wonders what happened to Scottish whisky, via the Daily Mail:

‘Where were the blends which offered bewildering layers of depth?

‘Where were the malts which took you on hair-standing journeys through dank and dingy warehouses?

‘Some have taken their eye off the ball and not brought into account the changes which have altered the face of whisky.

‘They began to believe their own PR hype and standard brands started standing still or going backwards.’

Murray sampled 4,700 varieties of whiskey for his bible.

For the full story head to The Daily Mail >>

SEE ALSO: The 13 Best Bourbons In America

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31 Awesome Inventions Made By Ordinary Chinese People

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Chinese submarine 3

It's widely recognized that American inventors such as Alexander Bell, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford helped turn the American dream into a reality.

But these days, many inventors are coming from a different economic juggernaut — China. According to China Daily, 210,000 invention patents were given out in the country last year, a 25% increase over 2011.

In this slideshow we've included pictures from China's DIY inventors: industrious men and women inventing in their backyard.

(An earlier version of this story was written by Rebecca Baird-Remba and Adam Taylor.)

He Liang took ten years modifying this suitcase vehicle which has its own motor and can reach speeds of over 12 miles an hour. It can travel 30-40 miles on one one charge.



Tao Xiangli, a self-taught inventor, built this remote controlled humanoid robot out of scrap metal and electronic wires that he bought from a second-hand market for $49,037. Tao ran into a problem, though, when he realized the robot was too big to get out of his front door.



This 7.8 feet tall home-made motorcycle cost its creator, Abulajon, $1,300 to create. It weighs 600 pounds and can reach speeds of 25 miles per hour.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






I Tried Plated, The DIY Food-Delivery Site Started By A Couple Of Wall Street Guys Who Didn't Want To Get Fat

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plated ceos josh hix and nick taranto

I don't know how to cook. 

Well, that's not true. I know how to make chili. But it's San Francisco summer right now, and a hot bowl of chili when it's 80 degrees outside does not sound too appetizing. 

That's why I decided to give Plated a try. 

(Click here to see what Plated is like.)

Plated is like a do-it-yourself food-delivery service, much like Blue Apron. You go to the website and enter your ZIP code. You can also let Plated know whether you have any dietary restrictions, or if you simply just don't like something. Which days your food gets delivered depends on where you live. 

Each week, there are seven menu items created by Plated chefs: four meat and fish dishes, and three vegetarian options. 

It costs around $12-$15 per plate, and you need to order a minimum of four plates. If you spend $50, however, you get free shipping (shipping costs around $6). So it's worth tacking on a dessert for around $4 so you don't have to pay the extra fee.

You can order a la carte, or you can sign up for a weekly subscription, which comes with its own perks, such as 20% off all plates. You even get a couple bonus plates if you refer a friend.

And that's it; a box full of portioned ingredients lands on your doorstep, and you're able to start cooking.

Nick Taranto, the co-CEO of Plated and former Goldman Sachs employee, said he started the company because he was feeling depressed about gaining weight and being unhealthy. 

"When I was living on West 14th Street and taking the E train to Goldman Sachs it got so bad that a homeless man handing out papers in the train station would look at me and say, 'cheer up young man'," he told Business Insider in an interview in February. 

He and his friend Josh Hix started Plated in 2012, and since then it has grown to making deliveries in 80% of the continental US, according to the Plated website. And it's raised more than $21 million from investors

The site makes it easy to opt in or out of some foods. My family doesn't eat meat, so we opted to skip the beef.



You can choose how many plates you want delivered, as well as what days you want the delivery to be sent. If you have a subscription, you can let Plated know if you want to skip a week altogether.



This was my order for the week. For the purposes of this story, I decided to tackle the squid ink pasta with calamari and the bread pudding for dessert.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






This Might Be The Most Amazing Surfing Footage Ever Captured

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Chris Bryan is a surf cinematographer, and he managed to capture this amazing group of videos. We know that surfing is dangerous business even for the very skilled.

But somehow, watching these guys conquering waves shot in this way, lends a whole new perspective.

The height of these waves is absolutely mind-blowing.

Surfing1

And the way this cinematographer captures their sport is unbelievable.

Surfing3

As his subjects glide through the air.

Surfing2

 

It's worth watching the whole video:

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9 Critical Moments That Shaped Mark Cuban's Extraordinary Career

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mark cuban

Mark Cuban got into entrepreneurship at age 12, going door to door selling garbage bags. 

His technology companies made him a millionaire at 31 and a billionaire at 40.

He then became a public figure as the outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks and a leading investor on ABC's hit show "Shark Tank."

But Cuban didn't know all of this would happen when he was just a kid trying to make a buck.

Looking back at his life, we can see how he smartly seized all these opportunities.

1978: Cuban puts himself through college.

Cuban skipped his senior year of high school and went straight to the University of Pittsburgh. 

He transferred to Indiana University after his freshman year. 

But there was one problem: He had to pay for school. 

Cuban, ever the social butterfly, relied on his charisma to get his tuition and rent paid — he gave dance lessons, threw massive parties, and opened up a bar called Motley's Pub, where nights regularly got crazy

"Hey," he told Deadspin, "it was the '70s." 



1981: After school, Cuban heads back to Pittsburgh to work for Mellon Bank.

He helped the bank join the just-starting digital revolution.

"Back then a lot of smaller regional banks still did everything on paper," Cuban told Forbes. "Mellon had a department that went in and converted them to computerized systems. That's what I did. A lot of my peers at Mellon were just happy to have a job. I wanted to be more entrepreneurial."



1982: Cuban leaves Pittsburgh for Dallas.

"Some college buddies of mine had told me to come to Dallas — that the weather was great, that there were jobs, and that the women were amazing," Cuban told Forbes

Dallas would become the base of Cuban's enterprises, from founding companies to bringing a championship to a previously bottom-rung pro sports franchise. 

But first he tried his hand at tending bar — and realized that he wasn't that great at working for people



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






This Couple Quit Their Cushy Corporate Jobs Five Years Ago To Travel The World

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Pete Dalene Bolivia

Five years ago, Dalene and Peter Heck were toiling in cushy, lucrative corporate jobs in Alberta, Canada. Life was good, if monotonous. Then came a deluge of personal trials, family illnesses, and tragic accidents.

The Hecks had a realization: Life is short and you have to make the most of it.

The two made the radical decision to quit their jobs, sell their possessions, and embark on a life of travel.

They booked a flight to South America with no real plan, except that they would start by using their savings to fund their travels. They had no idea how or if they would be able to make their hoped-for life of 24/7 travel sustainable.

Five years later, they’ve taught English in Turkey, lived near a volcano in Ecuador, kayaked in Scandinavia, and nearly been swept off a mountain in Peru.

They started a blog along the way, Hecktic Travels, which is bursting with gorgeous photos of the many places they’ve been and fun anecdotes from their tribulations on the road. While they initially thought travel blogging might be a way to fund their adventures, they quickly it to be time-consuming and poorly paid.

So they started Hektic Media, which connects travel brands with travel bloggers. The new enterprise has been a far more lucrative endeavor.

“Travel blogging is the wild west in many ways. We know a lot of people that do good work and we meet a lot of companies that want to work with them, but they don’t know where to start. We help connect the two and help manage entire campaigns,” explains Dalene Heck.

The couple was recently named the Travelers of the Year by National Geographic.  

The Hecks spent their first year traveling all over South America and making the classic first-time traveler mistake of trying to do too much, too fast. After the year, they were exhausted. They were offered a job house-sitting in British Columbia for a few months. They accepted the gig. Slovenia Kanal

The house-sitting turned out to be perfect for them, giving them the chance to fully experience a place, recharge their batteries, and travel slow. Ever since, they've picked their destinations based on where they get house-sitting gigs, including Ireland and Turkey. This is Connemara, Ireland. Lough Shindilla Connemara

One of their favorite house-sitting trips was for three months in Turkey. They loved it so much that the family they house-sat for offered for them to do it again the next year. They accepted.

Istanbul Trolley

While in Turkey, they stayed in Burhaniye, a coastal town in the South. They visited schools where they helped Turkish youth practice their English. Many had never met a native English speaker before.

Hecktic Travels Burhaniye Friends

The Hecks frequently take short trips to visit different areas of the country while house-sitting. In Turkey, they visited Pamukkale, which Dalene called "one of the most unique places" they've ever visited. The city's name literally means "cotton castles," named after the many travertines (terraces of white carbonate minerals) that dot the landscape.

Pamukkale Turkey Pete

House-sitting has allowed the couple to spend less money and have a deeper travel experience, becoming embedded in local culture for months at a time. They house-sit about half of the time they travel. When they are not house-sitting, they use AirBnB to book apartments for short periods of time.

Budapest Hungary

In Greenland, the couple did a nine-day kayaking trip up the eastern coast. Dalene called it "one of the most challenging experiences we've had."Pete and Dalene Greenland

One of their favorite trips was a week-long tour through Jordan. Dalene described nights spent listening to Bedoiun music, while sitting amongst candles.

Jordan Petra Treasury by Night

The Hecks say that they see no end in sight for their travels. "We are addicted now. We need to wake up and explore new places, meet new people, and try new foods. The thought of ever sitting somewhere scares us a bit," says Dalene.

Afternoon Park Netherlands

For aspiring travelers, Dalene gave this piece of advice: "Go slow. Most people start out by going to each place for two or three days, but when you go slow, you don't burn out as quickly and you get a richer experience. You understand a place, rather than just grabbing a selfie and moving on."Elephant Nature Park Chiang Mai Thailand

SEE ALSO: The 20 Best Places To Live Overseas

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The Most Powerful Millennials In Tech

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elizabeth holmes theranos

There's arguably nothing more impressive than founding a company and turning it into a billion-dollar business before you turn 35. 

And in tech, millennials are taking over. We scoured top CEOs, talent, and billionaires for impressive leaders who were born after 1980.

Here are the youngest people making the biggest impact in technology today.

Ben Silbermann and Evan Sharp, co-founders of Pinterest

Ages: 31

What they've done: Silbermann left Google to found Pinterest, a photo and inspiration platform that some believe will eclipse Facebook, Twitter and even Google in  revenue. He co-founded it with Evan Sharp, and their company is now worth more than $5 billion.



Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos

Age: 30

What she's done: Holmes is the youngest female billionaire in the world who is entirely self-made. Holmes dropped out of Stanford to create Theranos, a company that could revolutionize modern medicine by creating better blood tests.

Theranos' company is working on a way to gather a ton of information from just a drop of blood (think a fingerprick) as opposed to a collecting vials and vials of it through needles in the arm.



Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, cofounders of Instagram

Age: 29 and 28

What he's done: In 2010, Systrom and Krieger cofounded Instagram. Instagram quickly became the most popular mobile photo app and now has nearly 230 million monthly active users, which is roughly the size of Twitter.

It was acquired for $1 billion by Facebook in April 2012. Systrom and Krieger are still at the helm of Instagram.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider







12 Sandwich Hacks That Will Completely Change Your Life

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bacon sandwich

Sandwiches may be the most perfect food ever created.

With infinite varieties and ingredients, the possibilities are truly endless — and endlessly delicious.

But not all sandwiches are created equal. There can be sloppy sandwiches, soggy sandwiches, and sandwiches that fall short of their true potential.

In honor of National Sandwich Day, here are some simple tips and tricks that will up your game and take your sandwich-making skills to the next level.

Did we miss your favorite sandwich hack? Explain it in the comments!

Put your sandwich condiments like mayonnaise in condiment holders so your sandwich doesn't get prematurely soggy by lunch time.

You can buy it here for $10



To keep wraps and burritos from falling apart, warm your tortilla before you start rolling everything together. Just for 10 seconds on each side in a pan, or quickly in the microwave — you'll be surprised how well your wrap stays together.



Get bored easily? Try making the PB&J 2.0 sandwich with strawberry jam, honey, marshmallow fluff, two kinds of peanut butter, and Nutella. It's a different flavor with every bite!



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






A Country In Europe Bans Energy Drinks For Minors

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girl woman drinking redbull energy drink

On Saturday, Lithuania became the first country in the EU to ban the selling of energy drinks to anyone under the age of 18, according to the Agence France-Presse.

The law, which was first adopted by Lithuania's parliament back in May, will make selling to minors punishable by a fine of up to 400 litas (or roughly $150).

"It's a revolutionary development the world over: We didn't find a single other country to have this kind of ban," health ministry official Almantas Kranauskas told Agence France-Presse. "Most countries only have recommendations. We are the first."

The Baltic state placed the ban in reaction to research showing how popular energy drinks were among minors. In 2013, a study by the European Food Safety Authority found that 68% of European youths aged 10 to 18 years old were drinking them. In Lithuania alone, the AFP reports that roughly 10% of school-aged children say they consume energy drinks at least once a week

Numerous studies have pointed out the risks posed by the consumption of energy drinks, especially by adolescents. Heavy consumption of energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster have been linked to heart problems, depression, hypertension, convulsions, and palpitations. The World Health Organization has even warned that energy drinks could cause a public health problem if their use among young people is not addressed. 

Lithuania is the first European country to enact this kind of ban, but the United Arab Emirates banned the sale of energy drinks for children under the age of 16 in 2012. The UAE was even considering raising the age limit to 20 years old in Septemberaccording to World.Mic.

There have been similar efforts in the US and Europe to regulate minors’ consumption of energy drinks, but none as bold as Lithuania's ban. The Baltic state hopes to set an example for other countries to follow suit. 

"We hope that some countries of the EU that don't have a clear position will follow the Lithuanian way," Kranauskas told the Wall Street Journal 

SEE ALSO: How Monster Energy Became The Military's Favorite Beverage

DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's Life on Facebook!

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An Artist Has Created A Bunch Of Robots For Ghosts To Play With

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exhibit for the dead

If your house is haunted, chances are you didn't welcome those ghosts into your home. The same cannot be said for a special kind of robot art exhibit now on display at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, NY.

Artist Fernando Orellana has constructed a playground for the dead, beckoning the "ghosts" of the recently deceased to come and interact with objects they were once familiar with in their former lives.

At first, when Orellana wanted to design an art exhibit designed to detect "ghosts," he wasn't sure how to go about it.

"If I were a ghost and I wanted to interact with the world, what facilities are there for me to do that?" Orellana asked himself.

Orellana spends a lot of time designing and building robots, so he knew that he wanted to do something with machines, but with a paranormal twist.

One day, the idea struck him to use objects to which a person felt a personal connection for during their lifetime. After that, it was a matter of finding those objects, Orellana told Business Insider. Basically, he thought, if ghosts exist, then they might be willing to interact with objects they once knew.

To do this, he attended estate sales searching for particular items to which the recently deceased might have held sentimental value.

His purchases led to an eclectic variety of objects including bells, a mineral collection, recipe cards, candlestick holders, hammers, a peanut butter-making machine, and even a player piano.

exhibit for the deadEach display in Orellana's exhibit, called "Shadows" that is currently on view at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, NY, is made for a specific ghost. For example, one sale he attended included an extensive bell collection.

"I bought a couple of bells and made an interface — a little robotic interface — to ring the bell," Orellana said.

But if ghosts exist, how can they interact with a robot?

This is where Orellana's technical skills come in.

How you sense a ghost

Each display has a robotic interface for its ghostly visitor. But the robots only work if they sense a supernatural being nearby. Below is an example of one of the displays called "His Butter" in action:

exhibit for the deadOrellana grabbed from pop culture to calibrate his technology for the dead. We know from cable television shows like "Ghost Hunters" that believers think we can sense "ghosts" using multiple instruments including: electromagnetic field readers, temperature gauges, and infrared light sensors. Orellana, therefore, built machines sensitive to these three measurements.

If the machine (shown in the image below) senses a change in any two of these measurements, then it will signal the robot to ring the bell, hammer the nail, play the piano, churn peanuts into peanut butter, or perform whatever task Orellana has designed it for.

canvas for exhibit of the deadWhile these exhibits are built for a specific ghost, there's no telling what other supernatural beings might stop by to have some fun.

So, how often do the robots perform their tasks due to paranormal interference? The unsurprising answer is: never.

"They just sit there and wait," Orellana said. To his knowledge, Orellana has never seen his robots interact with the dead, which was no surprise to him. The exhibit is about more than just seeing the robots in action, he said.

A leap of faith

At some of the stations, Orellana provides an iPad that allows viewers to watch the robots perform their tasks since the ghosts seem to be shying away from playtime. Below is the station called "His Minerals" which lights handmade incense next to an extensive mineral collection that one person left behind.

his minerals exhibit for the dead"The screens serve as a leap of faith," Orellana said. "If you don't click, you're taking a leap of faith in believing this is designed for the dead and will operate at some point. But if you click on the screen, then it means you're a disbeliever and you need to see the object work. You need that gratification."

There is one station on display that does operate on a regular basis. Orellana designed the player piano to play the song "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" every 90 minutes.

"As soon as the song ends, it's over like our lives," Orellana said. "In many ways in cultures, music is connected to paying homage to the dead, remembering them, and that particular tune "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling", is connected also to their ancestors and is a sort of homage ... what this work was about."

Editor's note: Yes, we know ghosts don't exist.

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An Entrepreneur Is Selling San Francisco's Most Expensive Home At $39 Million

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klein house

A home that has just come on the market for $39 million is now the most expensive listing in San Francisco, Curbed SF reports.

The home belongs to chef Roxanne Klein and serial entrepreneur Michael Klein, who founded and sold three telecommunications companies before starting a guitar manufacturer called Modulus Guitars.

The Kleins' mansion may be pricey, but it is very chic. There's beautiful molding, lots of antique fireplaces, and plenty of space situated over five floors. 

The home is located on Broadway, in San Francisco's ritzy Pacific Heights neighborhood.



Enter the home through a door in an ivy-covered wall.



Built in 1910, the home was restored in 2002 and has lots of beautiful, traditional places to sit.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






What Your Tinder Photo Says To Potential Matches

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tinder headshots

When we decide to flirt with someone at a party, we do it almost exclusively based on what they look like.

The dating app Tinder is based on the same principal. It's probably why the app has been so successful. And despite how superficial it might sound, there's a lot more science bound up in those few seconds of checking someone out than you might think.

Tinder has been hugely successful in the app world — its users login an average of 11 times a day and spend between 7 and 9 minutes swiping left and right (either saying 'yes' or 'no' to a potential match) during a single session.

So how exactly do we size up a potential match, whether on our phones or in person? The latest social science research suggests there are a few main things we look for.

Checking Someone Out

"When was the last time you walked into a bar and someone said: "Excuse me, can you fill out this form and we'll match you up with people here?'" Sean Rad, Tinder co-founder and chief executive told the New York Times. As it turns out, there's a good reason we don't do this. In addition to being super awkward, it would also be pretty unnecessary and potentially misleading.

In reality, there may be more we can determine about someone's personality based on how they look than on their answers to a set of predetermined questions like those used by online dating sites. Plus, those answers might lead us astray — in experiments with people who said they valued specific characteristics in a potential mate, none of them proved important once it came down to meeting that person.

Tinder, on the other hand, works more like real-life flirting. Based on a quick glimpse, we are able to size up everything from a potential mate's personality to his or her hobbies and interests.

Photos may actually be even more accurate than in-person interactions when it comes to judging some specific social characteristics, including extroversion. As opposed to meeting someone at a bar, looking at a photo allows you to evaluate a variety of their characteristics— from their facial expression to their clothing style — before factoring in what they say or how they act.

How You're Standing

COPPER MANSION 2Whether we're looking at a picture or chatting with someone at a speed date, there's one trait most people can identify pretty easily and accurately: extroversion.

If you're standing "energetically" in a photo, for example, meaning you're not slouching and your feet are pointed towards the camera, viewers are more likely to pick up on your outgoing personality. Looking neat and composed (which viewers perceive as meaning you're stylish and healthy) can earn you extroversion points too.

Viewers also check out whether or not you're smiling (smilers are associated with being more outgoing). People who are frowning or appear straight-faced, on the other hand, are more likely to be deemed introverts.

Who You're With

Millennials having funTinder's own researchers say a more obvious indicator of an outgoing personality is whether you're alone or with others in your photos.

While most people say you should be alone in your main profile photo (no one wants to guess who you are in the three seconds they'll probably spend looking at your photo), your other images might include friends or family.

If you're alone in all of them, you might send a message that you prefer to spend your time solo. If you're surrounded by friends, on the other hand, you signal to viewers that you've got an outgoing personality.

"A photo of a guy at a bar with friends around him sends a very different message than a photo of a guy with a dog on the beach," Rad told the New York Times.

Where You Put Your Arms

Happy woman in red on subwayIf you want potential Tinder matches to think you're confident, rest your arms behind you in your photos.

In experiments with people who looked at pictures of strangers and determined how confident they were, observers were more likely to rank those standing with their arms behind their backs as confident. People who stood with their arms hanging by their sides, for example, or crossed at their chest, were assumed to have lower self-esteem.

Viewers also judged confidence based on whether or not people were slouching or facing the camera in their photos — as with extroversion, standing straight and facing the camera was generally associated with higher self-esteem.

Your Facial Features

beardIn general, women interested in men prefer they have more facial hair and stronger features, while men looking for female partners prefer bigger eyes and lips but smaller chins and softer jawlines.

Women's preferences can change, however, based on the type of relationship they seek. In experiments with women in which researchers asked them if they were more interested in a longterm relationship or a one-night stand, women who just wanted sex preferred the men with more masculine faces— chiseled cheekbones, a stronger jaw line, and more facial hair, for example. Those who were looking for a lifetime partner, on the other hand, tended to prefer men with softer features.

Conversely, men typically prefer women with features researchers identify as being more feminine— bigger eyes and fuller lips but a narrower chin and a less angular jaw, regardless of the kind of relationship they're looking for.

NOW READ: 5 Ways To Tell If Someone Is Cheating On You

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